The Nursery Day

Ages 18 months – 5 years

At Young Sussex, children learn through a wide variety of free play and structured/guided activities.  These are based on the foundation stage of the six areas of learning – physical development; language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; personal, social and emotional development and creative development.  We aim to nurture their natural readiness and desire to learn, and to prepare them for school life.

Each morning and afternoon children will have time for free indoor and outdoor play, creative and imaginative play, small world, story and music time, group guided learning, games, news and register time with visual timetable. Makaton signs are used daily and staff talk to, read to and play with children individually as much as they can to aid communication skills and develop positive relationships. Most of the activities are linked to topics or themes.

Relaxing/classical/multi-cultural music is played at appropriate times.  Music and movement and cookery are a regular feature of the curriculum. Children who stay all day have a ‘quiet time’ after lunch when they may either rest, or sleep if they need to.

Food

Children are given a nutritious mid morning and mid afternoon snack, comprising milk or water with fruit, cheese, bread and butter etc. Children who stay all day may bring a cold packed lunch or parents may order a two course cooked lunch. Parents may send a birthday cake or treats to celebrate their child’s birthday if they so wish.